A　few　days　later　the　court　returned　to　town　for　the　winter；　when　the　Duke　of　York　besought　the　privy　council　to　investigate　the　strange　charges　made　in　the　declaration。　　Accordingly；　on　the　28th　of　the　month；　Tonge　and　Oates　were　summoned　before　it；　when　the　latter；　making　many　additions　to　his　narrative；　solemnly　affirmed　its　truth。　　Aghast　at　so　horrible　a　relation；　the　council　knew　not　what　to　credit。　　The　evil　reputation　Oates　had　borne；　the　baseness　of　character　he　revealed　in　detailing　his　actions　as　a　spy；　the　mysterious　manner　in　which　the　fanatical　Tonge　accounted　for　his　possession　of　the　document；　tended　to　make　many　doubt；　whilst　others；　believing　no　man　would　have　the　hardihood　to　bring　forward　such　charges　without　being　able　to　sustain　them　by　proof；　contended　it　was　their　duty　to　sift　them　to　the　end。　　Believing　if　he　had　been　entrusted　with　secret　letters　and　documents　of　importance；　he　would　naturally　retain　some　of　them　in　order　to　prove　his　intended　charges；　the　council　asked　Oates　to　produce　them；　but　of　these　he　had　not　one　to　show。　Nor；　he　confessed；　could　he　then　furnish　proof　of　his　words；　but　promised　if　he　were　provided　with　a　guard；　and　given　officers　and　warrants；　he　would　arrest　certain　persons　concerned　in　the　plot；　and　seize　secret　documents　such　as　none　could　dispute。　　These　being　granted　him；　he　immediately　caused　eight　Jesuits　to　be　apprehended　and　imprisoned。　　Then　he　commenced　a　search　for　treasonable　letters；　not　only　in　their　houses；　but　in　the　homes　of　such　catholics　as　were　noted　for　their　zeal。　　His　investigations　were　awaited　with　impatience；　nor　were　they　without　furnishing　some　pretext　for　his　accusations。
  One　of　the　first　dwellings　which　Titus　Oates　investigated　was　that　of　Edward　Coleman。　　This　gentleman；　the　son　of　an　English　divine；　had　early　in　life　embraced　catholicity；　for　the　propagation　of　which　he　thenceforth　became　most　zealous。　　Coming　under　notice　of　the　court；　he　became　the　confidant　of　the　Duke　of　York；　and　by　him　was　made　secretary　to　the　duchess。　　A　man　of　great　mental　activity；　religious　fervour；　and　considerable　ambition；　he　had；　about　four　years　previous　to　this　time；　entered　into　a　correspondence　with　the　confessor　of　the　French　king　and　other　Jesuits；　regarding　the　hopes　he　entertained　of　Charles　II。　professing　catholicity。　　Knowing　him　to　be　bold　in　his　designs　and　incautious　in　his　actions；　the　duke　had　discharged　him　from　his　post　as　secretary　to　the　duchess；　but　had　retained　him　in　his　dependence。　　This　latter　circumstance；　together　with　a　suspicion　of　the　confidence　which　had　existed　between　him　and　his　royal　highness；　prompted　Oates　to　have　him　arrested；　and　his　house　searched。　　Coleman；　having　received　notice　of　this　design；　fled　from　his　home；　incautiously　leaving　behind　him　some　old　letters　and　copies　of　communications　which　had　passed　between　him　and　the　Jesuits。　　These　were　at　once　seized；　and　though　not　containing　one　expression　which　could　be　construed　as　treasonable；　were；　from　expectations　they　set　forth　of　seeing　catholicity　re…　established　in　England；　considered　by　undiscerning　judges；　proofs　of　the　statements　made　by　Oates。
  On　the　strength　of　his　discovery；　Oates　hastened　to　Sir　Edmondbury　Godfrey；　and　swore　false　informations；　becoming　aware　of　which；　Coleman；　conscious　of　his　innocence；　delivered　himself　up；　in　hopes　of　meeting　a　justice　never　vouchsafed　him。
  The　Privy　council　now　sat　morning　and　evening；　in　order　to　examine　Oates；　whose　evidence　proved　untrustworthy　and　contradictory　to　a　bewildering　degree。　　When　it　was　pointed　out　to　him　the　five　letters；　supposed　to　come　from　men　of　education；　contained　ill…spelling；　bad　grammar；　and　other　faults；　he；　with　much　effrontery；　declared　it　was　a　common　artifice　among　the　Jesuits　to　write　in　that　manner；　in　order　to　avoid　recognition；　but　inasmuch　as　real　names　were　attached　to　the　epistles；　that　argument　was　not　considered　just。　　The　subject　was　not　mentioned　again。　　When　an　agent　for　these　wicked　men　in　Spain；　he　related；　he　had　been　admitted　into　the　presence　of　Don　John；　and　had　seen　him　counting　out　large　sums　of　money；　with　which　he　intended　to　reward　Sir　George　Wakeham　when　he　had　poisoned　the　king。　　Hearing　this；　his　majesty　inquired　what　kind　of　person　Don　John　was。　Oates　said　he　was　tall；　lean；　and　black；　whereas　the　monarch　knew　him　to　be　small；　stout；　and　fair。　　And　on　another　occasion；　when　asked　where　he　had　heard　the　French　king's　confessor　hire　an　assassin　to　shoot　Charles；　he　replied；　〃At　the　Jesuits'　monastery　close　by　the　Louvre；〃　at　which　the　king；　losing　patience　with　the　impostor；　cried　out；　〃Tush；　man！　　the　Jesuits　have　no　house　within　a　mile　of　the　Louvre！〃　　Presently　Oates　named　two　catholic　peers；　Lord　Arundel　of　Wardour　and　Lord　Bellasis；　as　being　concerned　in　the　plot；　when　the　king　again　spoke　to　him；　saying　these　lords　had　served　his　father　faithfully；　and　fought　his　wars　bravely；　and　unless　proof　were　clear　against　them；　he　would　not　credit　they　sought　him　ill。　　Then　Oates；　seeing　he　had　gone　too　far；　said　they　did　not　know　of　the　conspiracy；　but　it　had　been　intended　to　acquaint　them　with　it　in　good　time。　　Later　on　he　swore　falsely　against　them。
  Meanwhile　the　wildest　sensation　was　caused　by　the　revelations　of　this　〃hellish　plot　and　attempt　to　murder　the　king。〃　　The　public　mind；　long　filled　with　hatred　of　papacy；　was　now　inflamed　to　a　degree　of　fury　which　could　only　be　quenched　by　the　blood　of　many　victims。　　To　the　general　sensation　which　obtained；　a　new　terror　was　promptly　added　by　the　occurrence　of　a　supposed　horrible　and　mysterious　murder。
  On　the　evening　of　Saturday；　the　12th　of　October；　Sir　Edmondbury　Godfrey　was　missing　from　his　home　in　the　parish　of　St。　Martin's。　The　worthy　magistrate　was　an　easy　going　bachelor　of　portly　appearance；　much　given　to　quote　legal　opinions　in　his　discourse；　and　to　assert　the　majesty　of　the　law　as　represented　in　his　person。　　He　was　alike　respected　for　his　zeal　by　the　protestants；　and　esteemed　for　his　lenity　by　the　catholics。　　Bishop　Burnet　records　the　worthy　knight　〃was　not　apt　to　search　for　priests　or　mass…houses；〃　and　Archdeacon　Eachard　affirms　〃he　was　well　known　to　be　a　favourer　rather　than　a　prosecutor　of　the　papists。〃　Accordingly；　his　disappearance　at　first　begot　no　evil　suspicions；　but　as　he　did　not　return　on　Monday；　his　servants　became　alarmed　at　the　absence　of　a　master　whose　regularity　was　proverbial。　　His　brothers　were　of　opinion　he　was　in　debt；　and　sought　escape　from　his　creditors；　whilst　his　friends；　after　their　kind；　were　ready　to　name　certain　houses　of　doubtful　repute　in　which　they　were　certain　he　had　taken　temporary　lodgings。　　On　his　papers　being　examined；　it　was　found　he　had　set　his　affairs　in　order；　paid　all　his　debts；　and　destroyed　a　quantity　of　his　letters　and　documents。　It　was　then　remembered　he　had　been　occasionally　susceptible　to　melancholiaa　disease　he　inherited　from　his　father；　who　had　perished　by　his　own　hand。　　It　was　noted　some　days　before　that　on　which　he　was　missed；　he　had　appeared　listless　and　depressed。　　It　was　known　the　imprisonment　of　his　friend　Coleman　had　weighed　heavily　on　his　spirits。　　A　terrible　fear　now　taking　possession　of　his　relatives　and　friends；　thorough　search　was　made　for　him；　which　proved　vain　until　the　Thursday　following　his　disappearance；　when　he　was　accidentally　discovered　lying　in　a　ditch；　a　cloth　knotted　round　his　neck；　and　a　sword　passed　through　his　body；　〃at　or　near　a　place　called　Primrose　Hill；　in　the　midway　between　London　and　Hampstead。〃
  If　he　had　been　murdered；　no　motive　appeared　to　account　for　the　deed；　neither　robbery　nor　revenge　could　have　prompted　it。　　His　rings　and　money；　gloves　and　cane；　were　found　on　and　near　his　body；　and　it　was　known　he　had　lived　in　peace　with　all　men。　　Nor　did　an　inquest　lasting　two　days　throw　any　light　upon　the　mystery。　If　it　were　proved　he　had　died　by　his　own　hand；　the　law　of　that　day　would　not　permit　his　brothers　to　inherit　his　property；　which　was　found　to　be　considerable。　　It　was　therefore　their　interest　to　ignore　the　fact　that　strangulation　pointed　to　FELO　DE　SE；　and　to　assume　he　had　been　murdered。　　Accordingly　they　prohibited　the　surgeons　from　opening　the　body；　lest　examination　should　falsify　conclusions　at　which　they　desired　to　arrive。　　A　verdict　was　ultimately　returned　〃that　he　was　murdered　by　certain　persons　unknown　to　the　jurors；　and　that　his　death　proceeded　from　suffocation　and　strangling　by　a　certain　piece　of　linen　cloth　of　no　value。〃
  Occurring　at　such　a　moment；　his　death　was　at　once　attributed　to　the　papists；　who；　it　was　said；　being　incensed　that　the　magistrate　had　received　the　sworn　testimonies　of　Oates；　had　sought　this　bloody　revenge。　　Fear　now　succeeded　bewilderment；　desires　of　vengeance　sprang　from　depths　of　horror。　　For　two　days　the　mangled　remains　of　the　poor　knight　were　exposed　to　public　view；　〃and　all　that　saw　them　went　away　inflamed。〃　　They　were　then　interred　with　all　the　pomp　and　state　befitting　one　who　had　fallen　a　victim　to　catholicism；　a　martyr　to　protestantism。　　The　funeral　procession；　which　took　its　sad　way　through　the　principal　thoroughfares　from　Bridewell　to　St。　Martin's…in…the…Fields；　numbered　seventy…two　divines；　and　over　twelve　hundred　persons　of　quality　and　consideration。　　Arriving　at　the　church；　Dr。　Lloyd；　a